As we approach the 100th and 50th anniversaries of American excavations at the Precinct of Tinnit and Ba’l in Carthage (the so-called “tophet”), and with publication eminent for the final report from the ASOR Punic Project excavations, I have been preparing 3D models—both full-scale printed replicas of individual stelae and a scale model of the entire American sector—in anticipation of a commemorative exhibition. Although there have been dozens of excavations at “tophet” sites across the Mediterranean, we lack publication of final reports with precise contexts. My efforts during this fellowship represent early, tentative steps to remedy this deficit.

The scale model of the site will represent just the Regulus-Salammbô sector (Fig.1), the precise location of both the excavations of F. W. Kelsey / University of Michigan (1925) and of L. E. Stager / ASOR Punic Project (1975-1979). Total station readings taken in the early 2000s have allowed me to correct the Kelsey-Michigan blueprint plans and the Stager-ASOR field-note plans, but the Kelsey blueprint of stelae inside the Roman vault has yet to be corrected because they lay outside of the total station’s range.

My goals during Dar Ben Gacem fellowship included initial negotiations to make hardware-based scans (Artec Spider) of limestone stelae in museum storerooms as well as actually making preliminary scans using software-based methods (Polycam) of sandstone cippi in the open-air museum at the precinct itself. You can follow the progress at our on-line workspace and on Sketchfab. The former methods will be reserved for those stelae in the Musee national de Carthage and in the Musee du Bardo, currently unavailable while they undergo inventory during museum renovations. I was able, however, to meet with museum curators and colleagues in the INP to make plans for the future. Once scanned, many stelae from American excavations can be replaced back into their precise contexts based upon the archival plans and upon annotated photographs that correspond to those plans (Fig.2).

During the fellowship, I was able to stitch together a rough scan of stelae and cippi still in situ, and these stone artifacts and other landmarks will serve as reference points for alignment, e.g. point D in the archival photo (Fig.2) and point C in the plan (Fig.1) relate to key points on my stitched Polycam model (Fig.3). Since I did not have permission to scan stela imbedded inside the Roman foundation vault, for now just the openings in the vault can be roughly aligned with the site plan at points A and B in anticipation of future scanning. While hardware-based scanning can be prohibitively expensive, my preliminary software-based scans required only a LiDAR equipped iPhone 14 Pro. For the moment, however, the hardware-based system does provide higher quality results.

Since I held the inaugural Dar Ben Gacem fellowship, I should offer a preview for future fellows. My hosts provided multiple opportunities to network with Tunisian scholars, US Embassy attaches, and visiting artists, as well as opportunities for conversation with other guests during meals, while the well-appointed scholar apartment provided a refuge for quiet study. This carefully restored beylic official’s residence has a conference room, in nearly continual use, where I presented a hands-on workshop about Polycam. I compared the iconography of stelae that I was scanning to the decorative repertoire of the residence itself (Fig.4). The Dar Ben Gacem has served as a sort of laboratory for the restoration of buildings in the medina of Tunis, so 3D-scanning of interior spaces and architectural details offered a readily transferrable technology that allows for accurate assessment and reconstruction.

As for the food, simply note that Jamie Oliver picked up tips on Tunisian cuisine while cooking in the Dar Ben Gacem kitchen (Jamie Cooks the Mediterranean S01E02 @20:35-26:00). For an entire month, at each breakfast and dinner, I got to sample authentic fare (Fig.5).

Finally, the situation of the residence within the medina means that one can easily explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site just across the threshold. The INP, libraries, and other cultural resources are steps away (particularly resources for medieval and early-modern Tunis), with Carthage accessible via public transit and other archaeological sites within range of a day trip.